A dog accidentally clawed a hunter’s rifle in a freak accident in Russia and shot the man fatally in the stomach. Sergey Terekhov, 53, had let his two hunting dogs out of his vehicle to run before the trio started out on a hunting expedition in Saratov.

According to the Sun, one of the dogs reached up on his hind legs in a playful attempt for attention, when his paw accidentally hit the trigger of Terekhov’s powerful TOZ-34 hunting rifle. The gun fired and the bullet went through the man’s chest. He died on the way to the hospital.

Police state the hunter had been holding his rifle on his knee when the fatal incident occurred:

“The butt of the gun was on the ground, the barrel was directed to his abdomen. The dogs jumped out of the car and one of them sprang right on the owner, pressing the trigger. All has happened in front of the hunter’s cousin.”

The incident has been labeled an accident. The dogs, Estonian hounds, are known for their intelligence and calmness. They love human interaction and are a popular breed in Russia.

(Photos of dog clawed a hunter’s rifle via screenshot E2WestNews)

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The hunter should’ve picked a better sport. Sounds cruel but the guy got what he asked for. And as for the accident… he probably did not complete the course of firearm safety instructions with his dogs. Sounds like those dogs where smarter than the owner.